Last Week: Everyone scrambled to finish their respective papers in time for Monday. That included Kari, who barely made it through her assignment with her sanity intact. Hoping to get her mind off her troubles, Kari headed out for ice cream with Jeri and Mimi, but ran into Cherrymon: Master of Disguise! Before Cherrymon could reach Kari, he was thwarted by Ryo and Cyberdramon along with Rosemon, who reached the Mega level with the help of Gennai and the power of Ebonwumon. After defeating Cherrymon and removing the Black Gear, Ryo takes Kari home, but as they start sharing stories…Rika happens to open the door. And things are about to get even more intense!


Digimon: The College Years

Episode 23- Rush Week


Davis took another bite of his hamburger. After everything he had been going through, he was just happy to doing something that couldn't possibly get him in any trouble: eating lunch at The Den on a Monday afternoon. Between slipping grades, his disastrous attempts to reunite Ken and Yolei, and the recent attempt by a Cherrymon to abduct Kari, Davis was feeling down in the dumps and there didn't look to be anything that could cheer him up.

But Takato, Kazu, and Kenta would definitely give it their best shot. Although, they weren't in the best of moods themselves.

Takato, the happiest of the four there, took a sip of his soda. "On the upside, I got my paper in on time and I think it looks like an A."

Kazu bitterly chewed on a potato chip. "We're all proud of you, Chumley, but we've got problems. Do you have any idea what kind of look Miss Asaji gave me when I handed in my paper? That woman's out to get me!"

"It's like the same look she gave me," Kenta added. "I think we're both about to flunk."

Davis wasn't even paying attention. His mind was wandering all over the place. There was so much he wanted to do to help his many situations, but he felt so helpless. His classes were only getting more difficult, Ken no longer wanted his help, and he didn't even know where to start guessing about this Digimon Empress who was apparently out to get Kari.

Everyone was about to bite on their respective foods, but they were interrupted by the sound of a trumpet. The trumpeter made way for the entrance of two preppy-looking guys in white cardigan sweaters and slacks. Their sweaters had a Greek letter 'A' on them. It got everyone's attention. The first guy, with long, blond hair slicked back in a ponytail, stepped forward and addressed everyone.

"Greetings, Odaiba Dragons! Today begins a new week and we just wanted to let you know that it's Rush Week here at Odaiba U! Odaiba University's best fraternities are now recruiting for the year and I'm sure they're more than willing to look for anybody. But we're here on behalf of Alpha Zeta! And we aren't looking for just anybody! We're a frat with high principles and we all strive to be the best we can be, with the help of our bros! You can ask anybody around that the Alphas are the best at helping each other through the academic, leadership, and…of course, social aspects of college! But we don't want to tell you EVERYTHING! To find out everything, you're all more than welcome to join us for a meeting at the Alpha frat house tonight at 8."

The next guy, a bulked-up man with a buzzcut, stepped forward. "We all look forward to seeing you there. For freshman, especially, this is a chance to get ahead. Nobody has a better college experience than Greeks and nobody has a better Greek experience than the Alphas! We'll see you tonight at 8."

With the sound of the trumpet, the Alphas walked out of The Den, having left their impression. Davis was mesmerized. If anything, this whole thing left him curious. And when he looked at Kazu and Kenta, he saw they had similar looks.

Takato remained indifferent. "Can you guys believe they make such a big show out of that. I mean, frats are overrated, don't you think?"

Silence.

"I'm there!" Davis grinned.

"So am I!" Kazu piped up.

"Me too!" Kenta added.

Takato sweatdropped. Davis's curiosity was getting the better of him. He wanted to see all about this frat. He was starting to look forward to tonight's meeting.

After the events of the last few days, this was the first time Kari was feeling as excited as she was. When she was coming back from class, she ran into a young junior who gave her information about a sorority on campus. This being Odaiba U's Rush Week, Kari was thinking about becoming a sorority girl and she would soon have her chance. There would be a meeting tomorrow night.

She ran through her door and looked for someone to tell. She found Gatomon, without her coat, cleaning up her litter box. Gatomon had also been feeling down. Not just because of what she's been going through with Renamon, but also because she wasn't there for Kari when Cherrymon attacked. Gatomon felt that as Kari's Digimon partner, she had let her down by not being there to protect her against the rogue Cherrymon.

If there was one thing Kari knew, it was that Gatomon was a good listener. "Gatomon! Guess what happened?"

Gatomon groaned as she emptied her litter box. "You've transferred to a school where I DON'T have to live with Renamon as a roommate?"

"No, I'm joining a sorority!"

Gatomon thought about that. "Ok, I've been in the human world for a long time, but…what's a sorority?"

Kari thought about that. She had never been asked to define a sorority before. "Well…a sorority is like a sisterhood of college girls. It's pretty hard to describe, but…it's like joining a lifelong sisterhood is the best way I can put it."

Gatomon shook her head. "Doesn't sound any different than what you have with Yolei."

Kari sighed. "Like I said, it's hard to explain. But you'll see it for yourself soon."

"My ears are burning, Kari."

Kari turned around to see a smiling Jeri at the door. And she had heard every word.

Kari could hardly contain herself. "Jeri, I'm joining a sorority!"

Someone else walked in behind Jeri. "YOU'RE joining a sorority?!"

Kari sweatdropped when she saw Rika. This was the type of thing that she expected Rika to discourage. But Rika didn't have her usual scowl on her face. Instead, she had a look of curiosity.

Kari nodded happily. "I'm joining Delta Gamma!"

Rika groaned. "PLEASE tell me you didn't just say you're joining the Gammas!"

Kari kept her smile. "Yeah! The meeting's tomorrow night!"

Rika just put a hand on her forehead. "This is just great! Did you have to try and join the same sorority *I* am?!"

Jeri's eyes widened. "Rika? YOU'RE joining a sorority?!"

Rika nodded. "I have family who used to be Gammas and…I want to give it a shot. It even sounds like something I might enjoy."

"That doesn't sound like the Rika I know," Jeri pointed out. "I thought you'd see sorority sisters as stuck-up, prissy, shallow airheads."

"And on any other day, you'd be right. But I'm willing to give the Gammas a chance before I make any judgments. I just can't believe there's a chance that I'll be a sorority sister to…Kari."

Kari grinned. "I see it as something we have in common."

"I don't have ANYTHING in common with you!" Rika growled. "Just because we might be sorority sisters doesn't mean I have to like you."

Kari begged to differ. "But we will become better friends."

Rika held her head. "I need air. Renamon, come with me. I need someone to talk to. Someone I LIKE!"

Renamon, who had been meditating in the corner, got up and walked out with Rika. But before walking out the door, Renamon turned invisible. Kari finally lost her smile and sat on the bed.

Gatomon ran over and sat on the bed. "So tell me more about this sorority."

Kari tried to think of the best way to explain. "Well…in a sorority…"

Izzy waited patiently as the classroom emptied out. Although he had a lot of questions on his mind, he knew that there was also a class to teach on that day. So he would wait patiently and then ask Professor Onodera after class was over.

Just about every student had filed out with the exception of Henry. He stood at the door and paused briefly before heading out. Izzy got the feeling that he was starting to figure out that Professor Onodera wasn't a real professor.

Finally, after Henry left, Izzy was alone with his professor and it was time to ask some more questions. "Professor Onodera…"

"Izzy, I keep telling you. Please call me Talley."

"Ok…Talley. We need to talk."

Talley shut the door and pulled up a chair. "What is it?"

"Have you come any closer to finding out who this mole is?"

Talley shook her head. "Yamaki's been trying his best, but he hasn't found a single lead. He's been following Professor Marquez around, but he says he doesn't have enough evidence to conclude that she's the mole or that she doesn't even have any ties to the mole at all."

"I was afraid you'd say something like that," Izzy sighed. "It's becoming more imperative that we find out who that mole is. Whoever's bringing Digimon to this world is also after a friend of mine. She was nearly abducted by one of the rogue Digimon last night."

"Is that a fact?" Talley asked, sounding intrigued. "In that case, maybe there IS something we could do! Let me talk to Yamaki. Maybe we can regroup and come up with something."

"I think it'd be a good idea if I come with you," Izzy suggested. "She's a good friend of mine and I think Yamaki needs to know that."

Talley didn't make any effort to stop him. "If that's how you feel, Izzy, then I'd be more than happy to have you come along. Why don't you meet us at the usual rendezvous point tomorrow morning?"

"This is rather urgent. I'd rather meet with Yamaki as soon as possible."

"Yamaki's really busy. Trust me, I've gotten used to it by now. He'll be around tomorrow. You've got to be patient with us, Izzy. We'll do the best we can to help. And trust me, if you bear with us, we can be VERY effective."

Izzy still wasn't sure how effect the old Hypnos crew could be. He had never seen them in action himself, but he would have to trust them. He didn't have any other moves to make and with this unknown adversary pursuing Kari, he would all the help he could get.

TK was doing some light reading as the day came to a close. He was happy to have the room to himself. Ken was out with Henry trying to regroup and think about what to do next about the whole Yolei situation and Davis said something about heading to a meeting, but he didn't hear which one or what it was about.

Even the Digimon were being relatively quiet. After being relatively active for a while, tonight they were simply watching TV and keeping things to a dull roar. It was enough quiet for TK to get his reading done.

But the quiet didn't last. The door burst open and Davis, Kazu, and Kenta rushed in cheering and hollering. They looked really excited about something. TK had lost his concentration and just decided to get to the bottom of it now.

"What are you three so happy about?" TK asked curiously.

"We're frat boys!" Kazu answered.

"You're looking at the three newest members of Alpha Zeta!" Davis added.

"Really?" TK asked skeptically. "I may not know much about fraternities, they're not my cup of tea, but are you telling me the Alphas really made you members already?"

"Well…we ARE in the process of pledging," Davis replied. "But how long could that possibly take?"

TK knew the answer to that. Certain fraternities were known to have would-be members pledge for months. And if pledging was as bad as he had heard it was, Davis, Kazu, and Kenta would soon be begging for it all to be over. But TK didn't want to be the one to burst their bubble. They looked so happy to just be considered for a fraternity. Of course, TK couldn't even understand why they would want to be in a fraternity in the first place.

"So what exactly do you have to do?" TK asked.

"We have to go through our first ritual tomorrow," Kenta answered. "But nobody told us what we'd have to do. I'm sure it's no big deal, right?"

TK didn't say a word. He'd let them find out for themselves. But pledging would get VERY rough for them. Hearing about where his partner came from, Veemon rushed up to Davis.

"So where are you coming from, Davish?"

"Veemon, I'm about to become a member of a cool fraternity! I'll be a part of a brotherhood that'll last a lifetime. Fraternities are a part of what make college so great! And now I'll get the chance to join! As soon as I do some pledging, that is."

Veemon scratched his head. "Pledging?"

"Pledging is like an initiation. Once we prove our loyalty, we're in!"

Veemon looked confused. "So…what exactly is it you have to do?"

Davis didn't have an answer for that. "Well…why don't you come with us tomorrow night to the next meeting. I'll find a place to hide you and you can watch the whole thing."

"Ooh! Sounds like fun!"

TK couldn't help but chuckle. He knew that they were about to get in over their heads. What was sad was that they didn't realize it. But there were some things Davis had to learn for himself and the same went for Kazu and Kenta. Pledging would be something they would never forget.

It didn't take much to get TK's mind on something else. The phone suddenly rang. After the second ring, TK picked it up.

"Hello? … What? … Tonight? … Isn't there anyone else? … What? … Ok, if you can't find anyone else, I'll do it."

TK sighed and hung up the phone. He couldn't believe his rotten luck. With someone else at the pizza place having a cold, it looked like TK would be forced to work an extra shift tonight. He'd have to ask Ken for his car again.

The next morning, Izzy went to the usual rendezvous point: the school's computer lab. This would be the place where he would meet Talley and Yamaki and brief them on the situation. They had to be informed about the danger being posed to Kari.

Just like the first time Izzy came for one of these meetings, he saw the computer lab lights were off. He slowly walked in and closed the door, staying the dark like everyone else present. Once the door was closed, one of the lamps turned on. Yamaki had switched it on.

"I've been expecting you, Izzy. I trust you remember Talley. And right beside her is the third member of our team, Riley Ootori."

Izzy noticed the long-haired brunette and waved. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

Yamaki fumbled with his lighter. "Talley tells me that you have something to tell me regarding our mole-hunting mission."

"The situation has gotten much more serious," Izzy began. "Apparently, whoever's bringing the Digimon to this world is trying to abduct a friend of mine. None of us are sure why, but we know that if we don't act and put a stop to the mole now, my friend may not have much time left."

"Just which friend are we talking about, Izzy?" Yamaki asked. "Give me a name."

"Her name's Kari Kamiya, a freshman majoring in education."

"A DigiDestined?"

"The DigiDestined of Light."

Yamaki paused for a moment and continued fumbling with his lighter. "The best thing we can do is keep a close surveillance on her. However, if we do that, we run a risk of blowing our cover. We must remember that no one must find out that we are undercover, not even the other DigiDestined or the Tamers."

Izzy felt nervous about that one. He had already informed the other older DigiDestined about the undercover Hypnos agents. He couldn't tell Yamaki that he had told.

"Do you have a picture of her with you, Izzy?" Riley asked curiously.

Izzy had only one picture. He reached into his wallet and pulled out a picture of her posing with her brother, Tai, from a couple of months ago. It was the most recent picture he had. He pulled it out and handed it to Riley. She and Talley both hovered over it.

"I recognize her," Riley muttered.

"No way," Talley said skeptically. "We've never seen her before."

"I just saw this girl yesterday before my first class. She was coming out of the building where Delta Gamma was meeting."

"The sorority?" Talley asked.

"She was coming out just before one of the Tamers went in."

Yamaki finally put his lighter down. "Hmm…this could be very interesting. We may be able to use this all to our advantage. I want you two to look into this. Find out if Kari is involved with this sorority. If she is, then we'll make our next move."

"What move would that be?" Izzy asked.

Yamaki smirked. "Oh…you'll see."

Riley sweatdropped. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Izzy was in the dark on this one. Only Yamaki himself, who had a big smirk on his face, knew what he had in mind. And there was nothing else Izzy could do except wait.

Kari felt butterflies in her stomach as she approached the address she was given. The address was for the sorority house. She didn't know what to expect once she got there. All she knew was that she was about to be judged among other would-be sisters. Kari's sisterhood was far from official and it definitely wasn't guaranteed.

She reached the house a block away from campus and walked up to the front door. The first thing she noticed was loud music coming from inside. She wondered what she was getting herself into. She shyly knocked on the door and got an answer from a young girl about her height with a black cardigan sweater, a white skirt, and long blond hair.

"Hi! You must be one of the girls trying to join Delta Gamma."

"Yeah. My name's Kari."

"My name's Danielle. I'm a senior exchange student from the United States. Come on in, Kari. Let me explain to you what's going on."

Kari walked inside and looked around nervously. There seemed to be a party inside the house's backyard.

"We're having a little party," Danielle explained. "For the Gammas, we value a sister whom we can all relate to. And we definitely value a sister who can hold her own at a social gathering like this one. So tonight, we're just going to observe how you naturally act at one of these social gatherings and judge whether you're Gamma material."

Danielle led Kari into the backyard and Kari saw a dance floor set up. She couldn't help but notice that there were a lot of guys around, as well. She felt rather awkward about that. She already had the feeling that she was messing up with Davis as time went on. She didn't need to make her situation any worse. Then again, perhaps this was the best chance to socialize.

Danielle smiled. "My advice? Just be yourself."

Kari looked around and felt nervous. Then she saw who else was there. Rika was sitting with a lot of the other Gammas and some of their boyfriends. And she was actually having a conversation with them, which was a rare sight for Kari. Not only that, but Rika seemed to be getting some laughs, too. The Gammas looked to be taking a shine to her.

Kari didn't want to think she'd be outdone at a casual gathering. She knew she could just be herself as long as she left her worries behind her. So she shrugged off all of her problems and went in.

This night was just beginning.

Davis peeked into the door of the local frat house. At first it looked empty and he wasn't about to step inside, but Kazu and Kenta pushed him in. There was a room with the light on and an audible conversation coming from inside, so they all assumed that was the place to go. They stepped into the room with the light on and found several Alphas in cardigan sweaters.

The same Alpha with the blond ponytail from the day before greeted them. "Guys, I want you to take a look at our new pledges. This is Davis, Kazu, and Kenta."

Davis felt like he was already being accepted from the start. He felt very proud of himself. He could tell he was going to like it in this frat.

"So we're in?" Kenta assumed.

"If you can show us that you're Alpha material, then you're in," the other Alpha from the day before said. "And in order to show your mettle and loyalty to Alpha Zeta, it's time for your first initiation ritual."

"Initiation ritual?" Davis repeated.

"Isn't that sort of like hazing?" Kazu pointed out.

The guy with the ponytail shook his head. "Hazing is a thing of the past. We here at Alpha Zeta have grown past such petty things. Hazing a poor sap to the point of exhaustion is so…uncivilized."

"So then what do you have in mind?" Kenta asked curiously.

The Alphas all grinned mischievously. Davis started to feel his stomach sink. He had a bad feeling about this.

It was a hard night for TK, thus far. When someone couldn't make their shift, he found himself making pizza deliveries, which inconvenienced Ken more than anybody. Since TK's car was still in the shop, he had to borrow Ken's. He had only been making deliveries for about an hour, but TK was already feeling tired. He wanted his impromptu shift to be over, but he had to make a quick delivery to the university.

TK found himself in the sophomore dorms as he held up a large pepperoni and sausage pizza. The aroma filled the room while he walked towards what seemed to be very familiar territory. In fact, the room number looked very familiar. When he realized where he was, TK eagerly knocked on the door.

Sure enough, it was Catherine who answered the door. TK nearly dropped the pizza when he saw the French girl wearing nothing more than a silk green nightgown with her blond hair down. The sight of her perfect body was enough to leave TK speechless.

"Bonjour, pizza boy," she said seductively.

"H-H-Hello…" TK stuttered.

"How much do I owe you?"

TK handed her the pizza and quickly reached into his wallet. He took out the money and put it in his own pocket.

"It's on me!"

Catherine giggled. "You know, TK? Yolei went out tonight, so…I'm on my own tonight. And it'd be a shame if I ate it all by myself. If you're not busy…I'd love to share it with you."

TK grinned. "They won't even know I'm gone. I can spare a few minutes."

Catherine led TK in by the hand and sat him by a small wooden table. They opened up the pizza box and reached for two slices that were side-by-side. TK didn't want to make a pig out of himself, so he made sure to eat with the utmost manners. Unfortunately, one of the big Italian sausages fell onto the rug under the table. The sausage was full of sauce and TK was worried it would leave a stain.

Before the sauce could drip down from the sausage and reach the plush rug, TK ducked underneath the table to pick it up. Once he was down there, he got a fresh view of Catherine's fine legs and instantly found himself on cloud nine. They certainly looked very gorgeous.

Then TK tried shrugging it off. He couldn't recall a single moment where Kari's looks drove him this wild. Here he was, alone with a beautiful French girl in a revealing silk nightgown with stunning good looks that would drive any other man with a pulse to the brink of insanity. And the best part was that there was no sign of Tai anywhere.

Yet…oddly enough…he was feeling guilty. Any other guy in the world would envy TK's position more than anything. But TK honestly felt guilty.

Finally, TK sat back up and sat on the chair. He took a bite out of his pizza and had a melancholy look on his face. He should have been happy…yet he wasn't.

"TK…what is wrong?"

TK tried to keep his eyes off the French girl. "Uh…nothing. I'm…fine."

Catherine hung her head down. "I don't think you're telling me the truth. TK…I'm sorry if I betrayed your trust by going out with Tai. I guess it's time I start growing up and changing my old habits."

That caught TK by surprise. "Habits? You mean there's been ANOTHER time where you've dated two guys at once?"

Catherine nodded. "I'm not proud of it. That ended with somebody's feelings being hurt, too. That's why today, I finally decided that…maybe it was time for me to stop leading you two on and make a decision. And I decided…I'd like to be with you, TK."

TK still kept his eyes away from Catherine. "W-What about Tai?"

"Tai is a sweetheart," Catherine sighed. "He's just like I remember him. But…the chemistry just isn't there. I don't feel anything for him romantically. I searched my heart, TK, and it didn't lead me to Tai. It led me to you."

TK knew he should have been happy. He should have been on top of the world. He finally had what he wanted…or…at least what he THOUGHT he wanted. Yet, TK didn't feel good at all. He still felt guilty.

"TK…" Catherine said somberly. "Something IS bothering you. Why aren't you looking at me? I said I was sorry."

"It's not you."

"Then why won't you look at me?"

TK finally brought himself to look Catherine in the eye. He saw a look of remorse and a plea for his heart. He wanted to give it to her…yet he couldn't. His mind was on someone else.

"Catherine…I'm sorry…I have to go."

TK got up, but felt Catherine's soft grip on his right hand. He didn't want to look back at her face out of fear of what he would see, but he couldn't keep himself from looking there. Sure enough, Catherine had a tear rolling down her cheek.

"You…don't want to be with me, TK?"

TK closed his eyes. "I…need to think about it. Please…let me go."

Catherine reluctantly loosened her grip. Without hesitation, TK left the room and didn't look back. He was happy that he had beaten Tai for Catherine's affections. He was happy that he was about to finally move on. Yet…he couldn't.

As he walked out…he couldn't stop thinking about Kari.

The night was going very well for Kari. She was getting along with all the sisters from the sorority and was also getting to know some of the interesting guys that the sisters had invited. And while she was socializing, she couldn't help but notice that the sisters were observing her and the way she conducted herself. Kari felt like she was being studied.

Of course, Rika was also doing some interaction of her own. She was mixing in very well with the sorority sisters which continued to leave Rika more surprised than anything else. This was very unlike Rika and Kari could only wonder what sparked such a change in her sour roommate's usual demeanor. It was almost like this was a whole new Rika.

The night was beginning to come to a close as the music suddenly stopped. Everything came to a halt as a trio of Gammas, including Danielle, walked over to the front door. One of them, a short girl with long black hair that flowed just to the small of her back, took a nearby microphone.

"Good…whoa, hello! I guess this thing's on. Ahem…good evening. My name's Leezel. We want to thank you all on behalf of Delta Gamma for coming tonight. We're glad you could make it and I'm very pleased to say that we like what we've seen. You'd all make fine members of our sorority, but sadly there isn't room for all of you. So for the next few minutes, we're going to make a decision as to who will be the newest Gammas, so sit tight for a couple of minutes and we'll come back out in a little while to let you all know the results."

Kari gulped. She was nervous, thinking she couldn't possibly make it. Her self-esteem didn't go any higher when she noticed Rika was standing behind her. But as long as she was there, Kari wanted to get a question out of the way.

"Rika…what made you want to be a Gamma?"

"I have my reasons," Rika said in her usual Rika-like tone.

Kari didn't get very far with that question. Not knowing what else to ask, Kari just decided to wait.

When Davis heard the old stories of fraternity hazing, he was frankly expecting the worst. He had heard how physically draining those rituals could be. It didn't take him long to see that the days of physically demanding hazing were over.

Of course, it appeared that the days of embarrassingly awkward hazing were alive and well.

"I can't believe we're doing this," Kenta grumbled. "Why are we doing this again, Kazu?"

"To prove that we're willing to do anything for the frat," Kazu answered. "Now stop complaining! What would the guys say if they heard you? And don't call me Kazu, remember? The Alphas gave us the names we're supposed to use while we pledge."

"Oh yeah. Sorry, Curly."

"No problem, Larry."

Veemon poked his head out of a nearby metal trashcan. "Davish…is this what you guys do in a fraternity?"

Davis sweatdropped as he stood on the busy Odaiba street corner. He was dressed in a hairy gorilla suit. The suit's head had the mouth open so Davis's face could be seen. Of course, as embarrassing as wearing that suit was, it wasn't anywhere close to the humiliation of what Kazu and Kenta were forced to wear on this night.

Kazu was wearing a giant green Greek letter alpha costume while Kenta wore a giant black Greek letter zeta costume. The costumes were rather heavy and both guys were nearly falling over and struggling to stand up straight. There were also no openings for sleeves, so they were forced to keep their arms at their sides. The costumes only left a tiny hole in the front for Kazu and Kenta to stick their faces out. And obviously, the bizarre costumes were drawing attention.

"Veemon, get back in there," Davis muttered. "I can't let anybody see you. Besides…I'm busy. And while I'm doing frat business, my name's Moe."

"Ok, Moe," Veemon asked curiously. "So what are you busy with?"

Davis faced the crowd of passing people and hopped on one leg. "Ooh! Ooh! We go ape for Alpha Zeta!"

"We go ape for Alpha Zeta!" Kazu and Kenta quickly added.

A few minutes passed before a Mercedes pulled up to the corner. The window rolled down to reveal one of the Alphas.

"Good job, guys! You're really proving you're Alpha material with your enthusiasm."

"Oh…we're enthusiastic, alright," Davis grinned. "So…how long are we supposed to do this?"

"For another three hours," the Alpha grinned. "Good luck, pledges."

The Mercedes rolled off, taking a turn at the corner and driving over a puddle. The puddle splashed over the three pledges. Davis turned around to see that Kazu and Kenta had skeptical looks on their faces. Davis was quick to remind them not to give up.

"This'll all be worth it when it's over!"

It was the longest 20 minutes Kari had experienced in a long time. She looked on as several Gammas approached wannabe sisters and let them down gently, telling them they weren't Delta Gamma material. Although their intentions were to be as gentle as possible, the whole thing still came off as rather intimidating.

One-by-one, wannabes dropped like flies. There were only 15 minutes remaining when Leezel took the microphone again. Kari looked around for Danielle, the first Gamma she met, until she noticed that Danielle was right behind her.

"How do you think I did?" Kari asked nervously.

"I definitely put in a good word for you," Danielle said kindly. "You're everything we look for in a sister."

Leezel, with all eyes on her, cleared her throat. "Well…we've made our decision. If you're still here, then it's safe to say you've made it. You're a member of Delta Gamma…"

Girlish cheers immediately filled the sorority house. But it didn't look like Leezel was finished.

"With the exception of one girl. We'd like to ask Kari Kamiya and Rika Nonaka to step forward."

Kari felt her heart sink. She felt it in her stomach that she didn't make it. She timidly stepped forward right beside Rika. Although Rika was still keeping her cool façade, Kari sensed she was also nervous.

"You two are everything we look for in a Delta Gamma sister," Leezel said. "And that's why it was so difficult for us to come to this decision. We all discussed it verbosely and…Kari…Rika…one of you will be a sister and the other won't. HOWEVER……we were unable to decide which of you would get the honor."

"In other words, you two are tied for the last spot," Danielle clarified.

"Thank you, Danielle. We all voted on which of you to make into a Gamma and the vote is deadlocked. So our proposal is…we'd like to vote again a week from tonight. In the meantime, we'd like to see how you act everyday just to see who would better represent us. But to make sure you're acting totally natural, we're going to find some former Delta Gamma alumni to observe you. And hopefully, what we hear from those alumni will help us break our deadlock."

Kari shifted her gaze to see that Rika wasn't terribly thrilled with this development. Kari wasn't exactly happy knowing that the drama would be prolonged for another week, either.

"With that said, congratulations to all of you who made it," Leezel smiled. "And Kari and Rika…good luck to the both of you. Let's have a friendly handshake."

Kari and Rika briefly hesitated before shaking hands. As if things couldn't strain the two roommates any further, they would now be divided over a sorority spot. Rika shot Kari a quick glare, which reminded her more of the roommate she had come to know since the day she moved into the university.

The week was about to get intense.

Davis, still in his gorilla costume, finally found himself at the front entrance to the freshman dorms. After a whole night of hopping on one leg and acting like an ape for the fraternity, the night was over and it was time to go to bed. He looked down at his watch to see that it was 4 in the morning. He wanted to go straight to bed. So when he went through the front door, he didn't even bother to notice that there were two others behind him.

"Hey!"

"Davis!"

Davis looked behind him and saw that the front door collided with Kazu and Kenta and sent them toppling over like dominoes. They were still in their Greek letter costumes and were now flailing on their backs. Davis sighed and helped them up.

"Is THIS what being in a fraternity is, Davish?" Veemon asked.

"I sure hope not," Kenta grumbled.

"Is your name Davish…er…Davis?" Davis snapped. He turned to his partner Digimon. "This won't last. We're just being initiated. It'll get a lot better soon…I think."

"I'm guessing you guys are pledging?"

Davis, Kazu, and Kenta looked over to see Matt casually standing by his door.

"Isn't it a little late for you to be up?" Kazu asked.

"Eh, I couldn't sleep. Sora kept me up all night while she tried on wigs. Judging by the monkey suit and the letters, I'd guess…Alpha Zeta?"

"He's good," Kenta muttered.

Davis grinned. "We made it, Matt! Can you believe it? Now we just have to go through these initiation rituals."

"And how long is this supposed to last?" Matt asked.

"Uh…how long IS this supposed to last?" Davis asked his two colleagues.

"You're asking US?" Kazu asked.

Matt shrugged. "That's all you had to tell me. Good night, guys."

Davis saw the message Matt was trying to send. "Hey Matt…this IS worth it!"

"Whatever you say, Davis."

Matt went into his room and shut the door. Kazu and Kenta nearly fell over again due to the weight of their costumes. Not knowing who else to turn to, Davis turned to Veemon.

"This IS worth it!"

At the crack of dawn, Yamaki waited patiently by the phone as he graded papers. One of the downsides to this undercover job was knowing that would often have to spend sleepless nights slaving over papers. Although he was impressed with a lot of the work he was seeing, including the work of a recent transfer into his class. This new addition to his 10 o'clock class definitely astounded him with his awesome work and he definitely appeared to have the potential to become a best-selling author.

"Hmm…Takeru Takaishi…"

Just as Yamaki was halfway through Takeru's paper, he heard a knock at the door. He didn't think someone would actually come to his door. But knowing who it might be, he got up and walked over to answer it. Indeed, it was Riley and Talley.

"Sir? We've done some digging and we've got some good news," Riley began.

"We have something on that Kamiya girl," Talley said proudly.

"Well, I'm waiting to hear it," Yamaki said. "What do you have?"

"Our sources around campus told us that she is indeed attempting to join the Delta Gamma sorority," Riley reported. "However, she hasn't exactly made it yet. In fact, she's on the waiting list, if you will. She's fighting for the last spot on the sorority with another girl."

"And that's not the best part," Talley added. "The other girl is one of the Tamers."

Yamaki chuckled. "This is all very intriguing. If what you're saying is true, then this just might work."

"What might work?" Riley asked.

"I've got a job for you two," Yamaki explained. "If the rogues are, in fact, after the Kamiya girl, then we have to keep a close surveillance on her. And I think the best way to do that is to stay close to that sorority. That's where you two come in."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Riley muttered to herself.

"I want you two to stay close to the sorority and pose as Delta Gamma alumni."

Talley's eyes lit up. "You want US to be sorority girls?"

"If you two can get into the sorority as alumni, it'll allow you to keep a close watch on the Kamiya girl," Yamaki answered. "I'll make sure to supply you with all the false documents you need in case any questions arise. And to make it even more convincing, I'll even supply you two with a picture from your…ahem…sorority days. Of course, it'll take quite a bit of effort to make your images look years younger, but I heard Adobe Photoshop can work miracles."

The two female Hypnos agents weren't amused.

"What? You two can't take a joke?"

"You want to talk about age?" Riley smirked. "Why don't we talk about your…"

"OK, that's enough of that! You two have your mission. Any questions?"

The two ladies exchanged smirks. It looked like they were pleased with this new order. They shifted their gaze to Yamaki and eagerly nodded.

"Excellent. This should all go off without a hitch."

"So when do we start?" Talley asked excitedly.

Yamaki had only one answer. "As soon as we equip you with…the right stuff."


Next Week: The fight for a sorority spot begins between Kari and Rika. The wild card will definitely be the presence of two certain Hypnos agents posing as alumni. But there's one question that hasn't been answered. Just why HAS Rika suddenly taken interest in a sorority? Can Kari and Rika stay on their best behavior, or will a couple of certain guys (Davis, TK, Ryo) get on their bad side? Ken and Henry are just about set to straighten everything out with Yolei, but will they ever get around to it after they receive a distress call from the Digital World? And how much farther are the initiation rituals between Davis, Kazu, and Kenta going to go? And what'll happen when Tai finds out about Catherine's true feelings? With the old DigiDestined leader already feeling fragile because of his age, will this put him further in a pit of misery? Find out on the next Digimon: The College Years!


Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below!